Oral Contraceptive Prospects For Schering AG In Japan?

Following the news that a second of three committees in Japan has givenfavorable assessment to the safety and efficacy of low-dose oral contraceptives, the share price in the German firm Schering AG climbed (see pages 8 and 9). Analysts have also been positive on the firm since its presentation at an R&D meeting on February 24.

The firm derives around 21% of group sales from oral contraceptives, which amounted to 1.1 billion Deutschemarks ($656.9 million) in 1996. 250 million marks of this total comes form third-generation or "low dose" contraceptives.

Schering holds a 23% stake in the global oral contraceptive market by value, and 35% by volume, according to analysts Mark Tracey and John Murphy at Goldman Sachs.